Exploring this river from sea to source, Clare Balding takes on the wonderfully dynamic River Dart. Stretching for nearly fifty miles from the south coast of Devon to the untouched craggy Dartmoor, Clare will explore the Dart in all its glory on a journey of royal romance, picture postcard villages, and prehistoric landscapes.
In this episode, Clare visits Agatha Christie's beloved holiday home, a charming Estate that inspired its very own murder mystery. She jumps aboard a heritage steam train for a spot of cream tea with a riverside view, and then moves on to Dartmoor; one of the wildest places in Britain.
Immediately taking to the water, Clare joins seafood restaurateur, Mitch Tonks, for a tour of the Dart estuary by boat. Together they take in the unique properties, history, and wildlife along the river before sampling a Dartmouth institution - a crab sandwich. Heading upstream, Clare passes the grand Britannia Royal Naval College, where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip first fell in love over a game of croquet.
Clare's next stop is the quintessentially Devon village, Dittisham, where she tries her hand at crabbing before ringing the bell to summon the ferryman to take her across to the jewel of the Dart, Greenway Estate.
Greenway was Agatha Christie's idyllic getaway, a place where she would relax and enjoy views of the river below. Clare is joined by Agatha Christie expert, Laura Thompson, who discusses how important the Dart was to the Queen of Crime as they wander through the gardens, impressive Georgian house, and boathouse at Greenway. Despite its tranquillity, the boathouse was in fact the inspiration for the scene of the crime in Christie's novel, Dead Man's Folly!
Like all great vineyard regions around the world, Sandridge Barton - the home of Sharpham Wines, is situated on a river. Meeting head winemaker, Duncan Schwab, Clare learns how the River Dart is vital to the production of their award-winning wines, which Clare gets to taste along with some locally made cheese and a riverside view.
Journeying past the tidal Dart, Clare blows off some steam while enjoying a cream tea the Devonshire way as she travels along South Devon Railway's riverside rail route. Then, swapping out clotted cream for cute critters, Clare makes her way to the local otter sanctuary for feeding time.
At the gateway of Dartmoor lies Buckfast Abbey, where the monks there have been custodians of the land and river for centuries, and a newly installed state-of-the-art fish pass will hopefully boost the Dart's salmon numbers.
Clare's dynamic Dart adventure draws to an end with a wildlife walk near the river's source, surrounded by Britain's most ancient and magical woodland.
Feb. 20, 2025
